Page 33 - FoodFocusThailand No.181 April 2021

SPECIAL FOCUS

Case Study of Salmonella Outbreak
When Shirley Almer’s grown children describe their
mother’s death just days before Christmas Day 2008,
they say that the lively 72-year-old grandmother beat
cancer twice, but she couldn’t beat peanut butter.
Clifford Tousignant’s family tells a similar story. The
decorated Korean War veteran and devoted great
grandfather fell ill from Salmonella in his peanut butter
sandwiches around the same time. After struggling
against the infection for weeks, he died in January
2009 at the age of 78, a year and a half short of his
goal to outlive his father. Almer and Tousignant were
two of the nine victims who died in the 2008-2009
Salmonella peanut butter outbreak that sickened at
least 714 Americans across 46 states. The outbreak,
one of the deadliest and widespread in U.S. history,
resulted in recalls of 3,913 different products made
by 361 companies.

Salmonella Control in whenever possible, destruction of all botulinal spores in the food. Heat processing
Food Manufacturing is the most common method of destruction. Properly processed canned foods will
Food manufacturing and processing plants are the not contain viable C. botulinum.
first line of defense against Salmonella. Your
employees must be trained on proper cleaning and Symptoms and Signs of Botulinum Toxin
sanitizing procedures, handwashing procedures, The manifestations of botulism common symptoms include double or blurring
and contamination prevention procedures. Your vision, difficulty in speech or swallowing, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, constipation,
facility should have special measures in place to descent of symmetric flaccid paralysis of voluntary muscles and respiratory muscle
prevent Salmonella contamination in finished paralysis may lead to death.
products and product packaging, and to prevent
cross-contact between raw ingredients and ready- Case Study of Botulism Toxic Outbreak
to-eat foods. Your Hazard Analysis and Critical Control On August 2020 Ministry of Health received a call from the Poison Control Center
Points Plan (HACCP plan) should detail the specific – Bach Mai Hospital saying that a couple of patients were transferred to the Center
approaches that your facility will use to on August 18, 2020 from the National Geriatrics Hospital and initially diagnosed
prevent Salmonella contamination and can be killed by the Poison Control Center– “Monitoring suspected food poisoning caused by
through cooking and sanitation processes. Botulinum toxin”. Based on the Poison Control Center’s research, both patients
consumed Pate Minh Chay products of Alternative Living Two Member Co., Ltd.
• Clostridium botulinum during the end of July 2020. The next day, inspection team of the Hanoi Food
Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic, rod-shaped Safety and Hygiene Sub-Department inspected the production facility of Alternative
spore forming bacterium that produces a protein with Living Two-Member Co., Ltd. in Thi Dong Anh town, Hanoi noting sanitary condition
characteristic neurotoxicity. Under certain conditions, violations prompting a shutdown of the facility. Also, during this time, the National
these organisms may grow in foods producing toxin(s). Institute of Food Safety and Safety Testing received patient samples (patient’s
Botulism, a severe form of food poisoning results when feces) and unfinished pate samples from patients being treated at the Poison
the toxin-containing foods are ingested. The botulinum Control Center. the National Institute for Food Safety and Safety Testing announced
toxin has been found in a variety of foods, including the initial results of patient samples and pate boxes which were positive for
low-acid preserved vegetables, canned food, and Clostridium botulinum. A warning was announced in the media. At least nine cases
meat products. Although this food illness is rare, of foodborne botulism have been reported link to the pate. All required hospitalization.
its mortality rate is high; the 962 recorded botulism There are many foodborne pathogens in the food industry. In this article, the
outbreaks in the United States from 1899 to 1990 foodborne pathogens will be presented which often outbreaks now and then to
involved 2,320 cases and 1,036 deaths. C. botulinum is underline to food processors and involved parties. Besides, there are many
widely distributed in soils and in sediments of oceans foodborne pathogens that line operators and food safety authorized need to take
and lakes. Types A and B are most commonly care of. Even though there are many pathogenic microorganisms that cause food
encountered in foods associated with soil degradation and food disease, the food processors and related parties shall commit
contamination. If the organisms do not grow, no toxin in their food safety standards. That will surely gain the great confidence to
is produced. Measures to prevent botulism include consumers about their food products.
reduction of the microbial contamination level,
acidification, reduction of moisture level, and

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